BELEWS CREEK
OperatingCoal power plant
- Capacity
- 2,160 MW
- Primary fuel
- Coal
- County
- Stokes County
- Operator
- DUKE ENERGY CAROLINAS, LLC
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 1974
- EIA plant ID
- 8042
- Generators
- 2
- Net generation (2024)
- 9,564 GWh
- Capacity factor (2024, EIA nameplate)
- 44%
- Data vintage
- EIA-860 2024 final; EIA-923 2022-2024 final
- Coordinates
- 36.2813, -80.0596
BELEWS CREEK, a 2,160 MW Coal power plant in Stokes County, North Carolina. Operated by DUKE ENERGY CAROLINAS, LLC, commissioned 1974.
How BELEWS CREEK compares
With 2,160 MW of capacity, BELEWS CREEK ranks 4th among the 205 operating power plants Bywatts maps in North Carolina and 2nd of the 12 operating Coal plants in the state. It accounts for about 19% of North Carolina's operating Coal capacity and 7.2% of all operating capacity in the state. Nationally it is the 27th-largest of the 324 operating Coal plants in the database. Commissioned in 1974, it is older than 78% of the 183 operating North Carolina plants with a recorded commissioning year. Its operator, DUKE ENERGY CAROLINAS, LLC, runs 27 operating plants in North Carolina totaling 13,073 MW.
Under the same EIA plant code, EIA-860 lists 2 generators at the site with 2,491 MW of nameplate capacity (this page's HIFLD capacity figure is 2,160 MW). Net generation was 9,564 GWh in 2024 (a 44% capacity factor), up 3% from 2022. Its generators came online between 1974 and 1975.
Grid neighborhood
The nearest named substation is RIDGEWAY, about 24.4 miles away; the closest transmission line found within 10 miles is a 230 kV line, under 0.1 miles away. Another 13 operating power plants totaling 1,703 MW sit within 25 miles; the largest is ROCKINGHAM COUNTY CT STATION (978 MW, Natural Gas).
Computed by Bywatts from HIFLD power plant, substation and transmission line records and EIA-860/923 survey data; distances are straight-line. Sources and methodology
Weather peril exposure
BELEWS CREEK is a 2,160 MW coal power plant in Stokes County, NC, operated by DUKE ENERGY CAROLINAS, LLC, commissioned in 1974. Stokes County carries low modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 1.6 of 5 at the 14th national percentile. Ice storm is the leading peril, rated Relatively Moderate by FEMA at the 81st percentile.
The Bywatts loss layer is calibrated to solar PV hardware, so it is not applied to a coal plant. The ratings below are the FEMA National Risk Index county hazard ratings for this location.
Stokes County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ice storm | Relatively Moderate | 81st | 4.2 of 5 | 2.1 |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 75th | 4.0 of 5 | 48.7 |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 67th | 3.7 of 5 | 0.08 |
| Riverine flooding | Relatively Low | 61st | 3.4 of 5 | 0.71 |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 49th | 3.0 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 33rd | 2.3 of 5 | 0.13 |
| Strong wind | Relatively Low | 32nd | 2.3 of 5 | 2.7 |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 26th | 2.1 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 22nd | 1.9 of 5 | 4.8 |
| Winter weather | Relatively Low | 12th | 1.5 of 5 | 6.8 |
| Heat wave | Very Low | 12th | 1.5 of 5 | 0.89 |
Perils not assessed in Stokes County
These perils carry no usable National Risk Index figure for this county, so they are excluded from the scoring rather than scored zero. A zero would claim the peril was assessed and found benign.
| Peril | Why it is not scored |
|---|---|
| Coastal flooding | FEMA rating is "Not Applicable" for this county |
Model hail, wind and flood exposure for Stokes County in the weather risk calculator
Ratings are the FEMA National Risk Index county hazard ratings; the peril score is a Bywatts transform of the FEMA national percentile. Full data sources and the solar vulnerability methodology are in the weather risk calculator.
Modeled estimate for screening and negotiation. Built from FEMA National Risk Index county hazard data and a solar vulnerability layer documented above. Not a quote, a binder, or actuarial advice, and not a substitute for a carrier's own model. Hazard data: FEMA National Risk Index December 2025, synced 2026-07-24. Resolution is county level, not site level.